We expected more from Ducati at the 2012 Intermot show as the Italian manufacturer makes its first appearance at the Cologne show under its new German owners at Audi and the Volkswagen Group. Instead, Ducati chose to keep its juiciest reveals for its home market at EICMA in November while revealing a number of color updates to returning models at Intermot.

Ordinarily, we’d call this disappointing but one look at the 2013 Ducati 848 EVO Corse changed our minds. Yes, it’s just a color update to the red and white version unveiled last year, but the matte black and matte gray color of what Ducati calls its Test Team livery and red trellis frame really stands out. Look for more pictures of the Corse Edition and the base model after the jump. Continue Reading »

When Ducati announced the updates for the 2013 Multistrada 1200 lineup this week, it was very vague on the details. We know the engine received some updates and the Ohlins suspension had been replaced with a new semi-active “Skyhook” suspension system, and of course, we learned about the new Multistrada 1200S Granturismo variant.

It took a couple of days but Ducati has released full specifications for its Multistrada 1200 lineup, shedding some more light on the 2013 models. All versions receive the second-generation version of Ducati’s Testastretta 11° engine. The 1198cc 90-degree V-Twin engine now features a dual-spark configuration, likely introduced to help meet emission control standards.

The new engine also offers more torque than the previous version, with Ducati claiming an output of 91.8 ft-lb. compared to 87.5 ft-lb. for the previous generation model. Ducati claims the power will still max out at 150 hp, at least for the Sport and Touring ride modes. In Urban and Enduro configurations, power is limited to a more pedestrian 100 hp. Continue Reading »

The latest spy photo of Ducati‘s upcoming 848-engined model continues to muddle the debate as to whether the new motorcycle is a Hypermotard or a Multistrada.

The new model appears to blend elements of the two existing bikes with the liquid-cooled Testastretta 11° engine and an all-new frame. What will likely emerge is a new model with a couple of variations, a sport version and a touring version,

This latest picture (the one shown below the jump has been tweaked for better contrast and a bit of sharpening) reveals the new side-mounted exhaust design and Ohlins suspension. The wheels also appear different than the ones in the earliest spy photo which appear to have been borrowed from a Multistrada. The new wheels appear to be a three-spoke design with each spoke separating again into three. Continue Reading »

Update: The review is now up! Read it here.

Ducati has released a series of photos of the new Streetfighter 848 from the naked model’s European press launch.

Motorcycle.com‘s own Tom Roderick was there and he’ll have a full review for us Friday, but here’s a quick excerpt:

It wasn’t until the second session on the track that I was riding comfortably fast, pushing the Streetfighter closer to its performance envelope. The front end’s nervousness and higher handlebars dictate a light touch — hamfistedness results in a wondering front wheel. – Tom Roderick

We’ll see soon how Tom found the rest of his test of the Streetfighter 848  for now, enjoy the official press photos from Ducati after the jump.

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Ducati is pricing its new Streetfighter 848 at $12,995, the same price as the 2011 848 EVO and $2,000 less than the original 1099cc Streetfighter.

The new 2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848 is equipped with a Testastretta Evoluzione engine similar to the one powering the 848 EVO but tuned to produce a claimed 132 hp and 69 ft-lb. (compared to the s848′s 140hp and 72.3 ft-lb.) In comparison, the 1199cc Streetfighter has a claimed output of 155 hp and 85 ft-lb. With Ducati’s new Testastretta 11-degree engine technology, the Streetfighter 848 can go about 15,000 miles before needing valve adjustments.

The Streetfighter 848 will also come standard with traction control, a feature not available for the 848 EVO or the larger Streetfighter.

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Ducati revealed its new Streetfighter 848, adding a smaller-displacement version of the original 1099cc Streetfighter first introduced in 2009.

The 2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848 uses an 849cc version of the 11-degree Testastretta engine first introduced with the Multistrada, which should mean a similar 15,000 mile valve inspection intervals.

The design is similar to the larger Streetfighter including the dual exhausts on the right side. The suspension appears to be comprised of Marzocchi components instead of the Streetfighter’s Showa and Streetfighter S’s Ohlins components. Brakes are Brembos as well but they are not monobloc calipers.

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